Gravel and sand washer and concentrator



Dec. 11, 1956 c. c. TYER 2,773,594

GRAVEL AND SAND WASHER AND CONCENTRATOR Filed Aug. 6, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l /0 a? 4'6 7 72,7 INVENTOR 7 0 0 0 0 o o o090 6 0 0 0 0 9 y? 7 w I I ILL v BY W: v

6 5 6 9 ATTORNEY Dec. 11, 1956 c. c. TYER GRAVEL AND SAND WASHER AND CONCENTRATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 6, 1954 INVENTOR 670.2 9 7" Lax/9% W x ATTORNEY c. c. TYER 2,773,594

GRAVEL AND SAND WASHER AND CONCENTRATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 11, 1956 Filed Aug. 6, 1954 3 32 36 jfi'g: Q ye United States Parent 2,773,594 GRAVEL sssnmsfisk CONCENTRATOR ClarnceCQTyr, vanes, Calif. ApplicationAugust 6, i554, sen arm. 448,569 8 claims. or. 209- 13 This inventionrelates to a'machine of extremely 'sirnple construction which due'to its unique construction and a unique motion thereof when in operation, is capable of handling raw materials such as ancient river'gravel, clay, slate and other gold bearing formations and which may be fed directly into the machine without requiring prepreparation, such as washing and sizing, which is necessary with mostmachines. I Another object of the inventionis toprovide a mach ne which will eifectively break up and wash allclays and slim'es from materials'fed thereto and while the material is submerged in water, and 'whichis so constructed'that waste material will be discharged from a'top portion of i the machine and during the first stage of treatmentof the'jmaterial.

Another object 'of the invention is to provide a machine having novel means for maintaining a'de'sired water level therein and a desired direction of flow of the water whereby slimesa'nd other waste material are maintained in movement toward'a discharge "eridofthe machine and 'while subjected to a rolling or surging transverse movement whereby the waste material is'eifectively separated from the gold bearing material. V

Still another object of the invention is to provide: a novel drive'and movement for the container in which the 'was hing and separating operations are accomplished, by

means of which the heavier materialsare caused to'settle rapidly 'to be caughtin entrapment areas Whereas the lighter waste materials are quickly carried 'olfandseparated therefrom. v I

Still a further" object of the invention is to'provide a machine wherein'due to its unique motion and the surging action imparted to the water thereby, large pieces of rock or the like will be caused to move in a manner to produce a breaking up and grinding action on the finer materials for forcing the finer materials downwardly through the machine and for preventing clogging of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which may be driven" at'fany speed and whereby the efii- "maybe employed to'produce' a concrete of much greater strength than ordinary concrete.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more" fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein;

Figure 1 is a side'eleva'tidnal view partly in' vertical a bottom 3 0, an i'nner sidefwall'lfl, an outer'sidel. 32, a rearvend wall 33and a front' end wall 34.

2,773,594 Patented Dee. 11, 1956 section and partly broken away and looking toward the front or discharge end of the washing and concentrating container;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially'alonga plane: as indieated'by the line 2"2 'of Fig 'ure land longitudinally through the container;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view through the container,

taken substantially alonga plane as indicated by the line %3 o Figure r a,

Figure'4 is ahorizo'ntal sectional 'viewthrough the'bottom portion of the containenitaken substantiallyalonga plane as indicated bythe line"4 4 of Figure 2 t Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the' lefthand portion of the machine as seen in Figure Land Figure 6 is an 'enlarg'ed'fragmenta ry horizontahsecltional'view,'taken s'ub st antia'lly'alon'g a plane as indicated by the line' 6'--6 0f Figure 1. I I

Referring more specifically to the'drawing's, the washer and concentrator inits entiretyand' comprising the invention is designated generally 8 and includes an elongated frame, designated generally 9, having corresponding e'l'ongated sides including a front side '10 and near side 11.

"The frame sides 10 and ll include longitudinally extending bottom portions 121mm undersid'es of which rnay lbe secured runners "or' skids 13 tofacilitalte movement of the machine-8. A"supporting plate 14 ext'ends between complementary end portions of'the parts 12 and "is disposed thereon and secured thereto'to provide as'upport for a motor 15 ofany conventional form havinga drive "shaft 16 disposed transversely of the frame9.

The motor'15 is disposed adjacentthe bottom of the frame 9 and near its left=hand end, as seen in Figures 1 and 5. "The frame sides 10 and ll'have top rails 17ertending longitudinally of the frame from the left-hand end thereof to midway of the ends of the frame. A pair of bearings 18' are mounted on and secured to the top j rails 17 and are disposed in alignment with one another. A shaft 19 is journaled in the bearings18'and has a large belt pulley 20.fixed thereto-and disposed in alignment with a small belt pulley 21 which is fixed to the motor shaft 1 6. An endless belt 22 is trained over the pulleys and 21 whereby the shaft, 19 is driven from the motor shaft lo and at a substantially lesser speed than the speed of said motor shaft. A pair of disks 23 are eccentrically fixed to the shaft 19, between the bearings 18 and in alignment with one another. t v

p The frame sides 10 and 11 have top rail members ZQat their. opposite right-hand endswhich are downwardly oi fset relatively to the toprail portions 17. The top rail portions 24 are eachprovided with a pair of bearings 25 and 26. The bearings 25 and thebearings 26 of said rail n1embers 24 are disposed inalignment and provide four nals for an inner roller; 27 and an outer roller 28. The

ends of the roller 27 are journalled in the bearings zs and l the endsof the roller 28" are journalled in thebearings' 26.

Accordingly, the rollers 27 i and 28 arev dis osed-nabsversely of the frame 9 and arelongitudinally spaced fr'dm one I another.

v An elongatedjcontainer or 'box 2 9 is supported'on rollers 27 and "with its longitudinal axis dra es-ed "transversely of 'the'frarnei9. The container sameness 'bottorn 30 at the endsth'ereof isprovided'with dep'ending flanges and the side walls 31 and 32 have outturiied iflanges 36 at theends thereof. The end walls 33and 34 have bottom portions disposed against the fian'g'es 35 :andfsideportions bearing against the flanges 36 and which portionsg'are secured to the'fianges35 and 36iby isuitable detachableffiastenings 37, such as nut and bolt fastenin'gs, to permit removal of said e'ndw'alls '33 and 34. The side walls 31 and 32 may be suitably secured at their bottom edges to the bottom 30. The container 29 is of a length greater than the length of the rollers 27 and 28 and greater than the spacing between the bearings and 26, so that the end flanges 35 are disposed beyond the bearings 25 and 26, as seen in Figure 2.

The rollers 27 and 28, intermediate of their ends, are provided with aligned restricted portions 38, as seen in Figures 2 and 3. A steel plate 39 is secured to the underside of the bottom 30 and has a direct contact with the rollers 27 and 28. A cleat 40 is secured to the underside of the plate 39 and transversely thereof and engages in the reduced roller portions 38 to prevent the container 29 from moving longitudinally of the rollers and to maintain the flanges properly spaced outwardly from the bearings 25 and 26.

The side walls 31 and 32 have inwardly inclined upper portions 31a and 32a which combine with upper portions of the end walls 33 and 34 to define a restricted open top 41 of the container or box 29. The rear wall 33, between the side wall portions 31a and 32a has an upwardly and outwardly inclined lip portion 42 which is disposed beneath the lower discharge end 43 of an inclined chute, through which the material to be processed is supplied by gravity into the container 29 over the lip 42 and into the open top 41 thereof. The lip portion 42 is of a width substantially greater than the width of the chute 43. The rear wall 33 on the outer side thereof and immediately beneath the lip 42 is provided with a box-like portion 44 through a rear wall of which a hose coupling 45 discharges into said box structure 44. A discharge end of a hose 46 is detachably connected to the coupler 45 and the other end of the hose 46 is adapted to be connected to any suitable source of water supply under pressure. The rear wall 33 is provided with apertures 47 opening into the box structure 44 and through which jets of water under pressure are discharged from said box structure into the upper part of the container 29 and longitudinally thereof toward its front wall 34.

The container 29 is provided with a perforated top plate 48, preferably comprising a steel plate, which is suitably fixed to the side walls 31 and 32 and which is f disposed beneath and adjacent the apertures 47. A horizontal partition wall 49 is secured to the side walls 31 and 32 beneath and spaced from the plate 48 and, like said plate, extends between the end walls 33 and 34 and has an opening 50 adjacent said rear end wall 33. The partition wall 49 supports a plurality oflongitudinally extending riffies 51 which extend longitudinally of the container 29 from the front wall 34 to adjacent the opening 50. As seen in Figure 3, the riflies 51 are of substantially inverted V-shape cross section having upwardly converging side walls. The partition wall 49 also supports a pair of half riflies 52 each having a single upwardly inclined side which extends upwardly from the partition wall 49 to either the side wall 31 or the side wall 32. The rifiles 51 and 52 are disposed in slightly spaced relation to one another as seen in Figure 3 and terminate substantially below the level of the perforated plate 48. A partial bottom 53 is supported by the side walls 31 and 32 beneath and relatively close to the plate 48 and above and spaced from the riifles 51 and 52, and extend from the end wall 33 a sufiicient distance to over. lie the passage 50 and the ends of the riffies 51 and 52 located adjacent thereto. The space above the partition wall 49 constitutes the upper chamber 54 of the box or container 29.

A mesh wire fabric screen 55 or its equivalent is supported horizontally in the box 29 by the walls 31 and 32 beneath and spaced from the partition wall 49. A lower horizontal partition wall 56 is supported by the walls 31 and 32, beneath and spaced from the screen 55, and likewise extend between the end walls 33 and 34. An inclined plate 57 has one end supported on the a supporting leg, which rests on the lower partition wall 56 and which is spaced from the rear wall 33. The inclined plate 57 extends between the side walls 31 and 32 and at its rear end is disposed beneath and spaced from the screen 55. The lower partition wall 56 is provided with an opening forming a passage 58, located between the part 57a and the rear wall 33. A deflector 59 is secured to the side walls 31 and 32 between and spaced from the partition 49 and screen 55 and extends a short distance forwardly from the rear wall 33 and underlies the upper passage 50. The portion of the container disposed between the horizontal partition walls 49 and 56 constitutes the intermediate chamber 60 of the box 29.

The bottom portion of the box, located between the lower partition wall 56 and the bottom 30, constitutes the bottom or lower chamber 61 of the box 29. The chamber 61 includes a short bafiie 62 which is secured to the sides 31 and 32 and which extends a short distance from the rear wall 33 to underlie the passage 58. The baflie 62 is spaced from the bottom partition 56. The lower chamber 61 includes a plurality of riflles 63 which are disposed in end-to end relationship longitudinally of the chamber 61 and each of which extends from side-to-side thereof. Each individual rifiie 63has a rearwardly and inwardly inclined top surface 64 which is inclined downwardly and rearwardly from its forward end and downwardly and inwardly from the side edge portions and away from the side walls 31 and 32.

The front wall 34 is provided with a relatively wide upper outlet 65 constituting an opening in said front Wall which extends from the level of the plate 48 to the top of said front wall and which constitutes the outlet of the upper chamber 54. The intermediate chamber 60 has an outlet opening 66 of substantially the same width as the opening 65 but of relatively restricted height, which extends upwardly from the level of the screen 55 and terminates below the level of the partition wall 49. The lower chamber 61 has an outlet opening 67 of substantially the same size as the opening 66, the bottom edge of which is disposed at approximately the level of the upper forward edges of the riflles 63. The front wall 34 on the outer side thereof is provided with vertically spaced spouts 65a, 66a and 67a for the discharge openings 65, 66 and 67, respectively. Each of said spouts includes a downwardly and outwardly inclined bottom and upstanding side walls and the bottoms of said spouts extend downwardly and outwardly from the bottom edges of the discharge openings, individual thereto. The side walls of the upper spout 65a are ribbed to provide vertical guideways 68 for receiving a gate valve 69 which is inserted downwardly through the upper ends of said guides 68 and which rests upon the spout bottom. Gate valves 69 of different heights may be selectively applied to the spout 65a for varying the level of the water and material in the upper chamber 54, as indicated by the liquid and material level 70 in Figure 2. An inclined chute 71 is supported outwardly with respect to the front frame side 10 by brackets 72 and longitudinally of said frame, and has its upper end disposed beneath the discharge ends of the spouts 65a, 66a and 67a for receiving the waste materials or tailings therefrom.

An elongated angle member 73 is secured to the outer side of the inner side wall 31 and extends longitudinally thereof and has a vertically disposed outer flange 7 4. The angle member 73 is preferably anchored adjacent its ends between pairs of vertical angle members 75, which are suitably secured to the outer side of said wall 31, as best seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3. A pair of connecting rods 76 are rigidly connected to the flange 74 in any suitable manner and are disposed at substantially a right angle to the wall 31. The opposite ends of the connecting '7 ing gravel and sand to obtain a clay and slime free material which can be used to produce a superior concrete of maximum strength.

It will be obvious that the gold remaining in the machine may be readily recovered by removal of either of the end walls of the box 29.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spiritor scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the character described, an elongated washing and concentrating box, means for supplying raw materials to be processed to the upper portion of said box adjacent one end thereof,means for supplying jets of Water under pressure to the box through said end and adjacent the top thereof and in a direction toward the opposite, discharge end of the box, means contained in said box for Washing and scrubbing the raw material while submerged in water and for separating therefrom and entrapping the heavier valuable parts separated from the raw materials, said outlet end of the box having at least one discharge port through which the waste material is carried off, supporting means on which said box is supported for reciprocating movement transversely of the longitudinal axis of the box, and driven agitating means connected to said box for imparting a violent reciprocating and oscillating motion to the box in a direction transversely thereof.

2. A machine as in claim 1, said box including a horizontal partition disposed substantially beneath the to-end thereof and disposed above and spaced from said partition and beneath said water supply means, said discharge port being disposed above the level of said perforated plate, said scrubbing and entrapping means including a plurality of longitudinally extending transversely spaced riffles mounted on said partition and extending from the discharge end of the box to adjacent the opposite rear end thereof, said rifiles defining substantially V-shaped spaces therebetween constituting entrapment areas and defining upwardly inclined walls affording washing and scrubbing surfaces over which the mateerials submerged in the water are caused to surge transversely by the agitating motion of the box.

3. In a machine as in claim 2, a second lower partition wall disposed substantially beneath the first men tioned partition wall and extending from side-to-side and end-to-end of said box, said first mentioned partition wall having an opening adjacent the rear wall of the box for the passage of the material and water from above to beneath said first mentioned partition, a foraminous separating element disposed between and spaced from the partitions for separating the finer particles from the waste material by the passage of said particles through said forarninous member, said discharge end of the box having a second smaller discharge opening located above said foraminous member, an inclined plate supported on said lower partition and beneath and spaced from the foraminous member and inclined upwardly and away from said discharge end of the box and terminating at a point spaced from the rear box end, on which the heavier particles passing through said foraminous member are collected and entrapped adjacent said discharge end of the box.

4. In a machine as in claim 3, a portion of the box disposed above said first mentioned upper partition constituting an upper processing chamber of the box and the area of the box located between said partitions constituting an intermediate processing chamber thereof, said box including a bottom processing chamber disposed between the bottom of the box and said lower partition,

said lower partition having an opening adjacent said rear '8 wall for the passage to the bottom chamber of materials and water not entrapped by said inclined plate, said bottom chamber having a plurality of transversely extending rifiies disposed in end-to-end relationship longitudinally of the box constituting additional entrapping areas for more finely divided particles of the material to be recovered, said outlet end of the box having a third restricted outlet opening communicating with said bottom chamber above the level of said transverse rifiies.

5. In a machine as in claim 4, each of said transverse rifiles including a downwardly and rearwardly inclined top surface extending from side-to-side of the box and having end portions inclined downwardly and inwardly away from the side walls of said box.

6. In a machine as in claim 5, and baffle members mounted in said box above and beneath the openings of said partition walls and disposed relatively close to the undersides of the partition walls and more remote from the upper sides thereof for deflecting the materials and Water passing downwardly through said chambers away from the rear wall of the box.

7. In a machine of the character described, an elongated washing, scrubbing and concentrating box having vertically spaced chambers containing washing, scrubbing and concentrating means and including passages located adjacent one end of the box through which the material and water passes downwardly from each chamber to the chamber therebeneath, means for supplying raw materials to be processed to the upper portion of said box adjacent said aforementioned end, means for supplying water under pressure to said box through said aforementioned end and in a direction toward the other discharge end of the box, baflle means contained in each of the chambers of the box for deflecting the material and water longitudinally of the box whereby the material and water is caused to reverse its direction of movement longitudinally of the box a plurality of times during its travel downwardly through the box chambers, said outlet end of the box having a discharge opening for waste materials individual to each of the box chambers for carrying off waste and tailings with a portion of the water from each of said chambers; supporting means for supporting said box and on which the bottom of the box rests including transversely spaced supporting members extending longitudinally of the box, and driven agitating means connected to a side of the box for reciprocating the box transversely of its longitudinal axis on said supporting means and for oscillating the box for imparting rocking bottom thereto in a direction transversely of the box for rocking the box into and out of engagement with said supporting members alternately whereby a simultaneous transverse and vertical agitation of the box is accomplished.

8. In a machine of the character described, an elongated Washing and concentrating box, means for supplying raw material to be processed to an upper portion of said box adjacent one end thereof, means for supplying jets of water under pressure to the box through said end and adjacent the top thereof in a direction toward the opposite discharge end of the box, means contained in said box for washing and scrubbing the raw material while submerged in water and for separating therefrom and entrapping the heavier valuable parts of the raw material, said outlet end of the box having at least one discharge port through which the waste material is carried off, supporting means for supporting said box and on which the bottom of the box rests including spaced supporting members extending longitudinally of the box, and driven agitating means connected to a side of the box for reciprocating said box transversely of its longitudinal axis on said supporting means and for oscillating the box to impart a rocking motion thereto in a direction transversely of the box for rocking the box into and out of engagement 'with said supporting members alternately whereby a'simultaneous transverse and vertical agitation of the box is accomplished.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 391,257 Masters Oct. 16, 1888 

